Right angle drives, such as differential gear assemblies, generally have a carrier member which includes two pinion side gears and two output side gears. The pinion gears are rotatably mounted on a pinion pin or shaft fixed in the carrier and mesh with the output gears which are drivingly connected to respective output shafts by a conventional spline arrangement.
The output shafts are rotatably mounted in the carrier or in the housing surrounding the carrier. The assembly has an input pinion and ring gear disposed in meshing relation with the input pinion rotatably supported in the housing and the ring gear secured for rotation with the carrier. The meshing gears have separating forces generated therebetween when torque loads are imposed on either the input pinion or the output shafts. Much of the separating forces are absorbed or reacted by the housing.
The reaction loads impose manufacturing requirements on the housing that might otherwise be lessened if the separating loads were not present. For example, the housing material is of concern when these loads are present, both from a strength standpoint and from a physical properties analysis. The thermal expansion coefficient must be very similar, if not identical, to the members being supported. This results in the use of steel or iron which add weight to the vehicle employing the differential.